Having a baby in a different country than your home country can be quite daunting! I know from experience because I didn’t know the first thing to do when I had my son, so starting from the moment you fall pregnant in France, I’m going to walk you through a timeline of what to expect and some important steps to not forget.

DECLARE your pregnancy: Once your pregnancy is confirmed by a blood test/doctor/midwife get your documents ready. You have 14 weeks to declare your pregnancy to the CAF (Allocations Familiales).

Taken directly from the CAF website – ”You must declare your pregnancy during the first 14 weeks to your Caf and your Health Insurance organization (Cpam or Rsi). If your doctor or midwife has not declared your pregnancy to the various organizations, you must go yourself with the medical certificate given by your doctor or midwife, to your Caf (the 2 blue pages) and to your health insurance (the pink part)”.

The CAF deals with all things family, such as housing benefits, childcare benefits, such as, your monthly payment (allocation de base) for a child. They also give you a lump sum (prime à la naissance) when your child is born, which is supposed to be for buying essentials that you need for a new baby. This amount arrives 2 months after the birth of your child.

Administration processes in France can be quite confusing to someone who hasn’t experienced it or grown up with it. So asking around to locals, colleagues, friends, neighbors, heck, anyone who’s french for that matter will help you a lot! They can help you through some very complicated situations.

Once you have declared your pregnancy, you will go through the next few months having your scans, blood, urine & glucose tests, either at your hospital or Labs, such as CBM 25. All mandatory appointments and birthing classes (with the exception of your first 2 scans) are covered by the Assurance Maladie. Here is a great LINK all about following your pregnancy & carte vitale. (In french)

Before the end of your 3rd month of pregnancy, you will have your first prenatal examination and a scan done. Your medical practitioner will tell you what tests need to be done at this time, such as blood & urine tests.

5th Month – 3rd prenatal examination and 2nd scan. Again, any other tests needed will be communicated with you.

6th Month – 4th prenatal examination and you can consult your private medical aid regarding your hospital stay and what they cover during this time, e.g. private rooms or shared rooms.

7th Month – 5th prenatal examination and the start of your Birth Preparation Classes. You can book your classes now and these are fully covered by the assurance maladie.

8th Month – 6th prenatal examination, 3rd Scan and Consultation with an anesthesiologist to discuss options about an epidural or requiring their services in an emergency. This is also the time to confirm your stay in hospital and you usually do this at the appointments/administration/information section of your hospital.

9th Month – 7th prenatal examination and the last of your birthing preparation classes. Time to prepare you hospital bag! (here is a link to my hospital bag essentials)

Once your beautiful, bundle of joy is born, you can add them onto your or your partners carte vitale. Often, there is a representative that comes to you in the hospital and they can register your baby on their systems, but if they don’t, you can easily do it all online via their website.

Check out the post all about What to do after baby is born in France. & What it’s like having a baby in France. I really hope that this post helps you in your pregnancy journey in France and that you have a healthy, happy pregnancy!